Traditional marketing isn’t going away and why should it? It still works when used correctly and strategically. But sometimes it helps to think outside of the traditional marketing box. Guerilla marketing relies on being creative and loud without the big budget. Five campaigns this year employed guerilla marketing beautifully with dynamic promotions utilizing 3D projection mapping, bagvertising, interactive billboards, rainvertising and ambient advertising.
5 amazing guerilla marketing campaigns in 2011
3D projection mapping
3D projection mapping creates surreal landscapes by projecting images on objects. When employing this tactic, the larger your object of projection, the more likely people will see it and the more effective your promotion. Put simply, this tool usually works better for larger businesses with bigger budgets. When used effectively, this form of marketing will increase your chances of getting noticed offline and the likelihood that your company and product line become a trending topic or viral video online. Check out how well Hyundai grabbed drivers’ attentions when it used 3D projection mapping for the launch of their Hyundai Accent product in Malaysia.
bagvertising
Bagvertising is a low cost form of interactive, mobile advertising. This practice allows marketers to use everyday, mundane shopping bags as creative pieces of unusual advertising design. In an age when more and more people are transitioning their purchasing habits from in person to online, bagvertising gives retail businesses’ offline outlets a chance to stay fresh and get noticed. The “out there,” yet functional, bag designs allow current customers to serve as your roaming billboards to reach new customers. Take a cue from the Fitness Company who used bagvertising to reach new potential gym members. If you’re looking for a standout, low cost way to reach new customers, try thinking outside of the bag with bagvertising.
interactive billboard
An interactive billboard uses outdoor billboards and smartphones to engage customers with the actual ad. With the outstanding bombardment of advertising consumers encounter daily, most find it easy to tune out the noise of ad messaging they see, read and watch. Using a more interactive tool, like these billboards, allows your ad to stand out and engage customers on a different level than competing collateral. Honda stood out this year with their interactive billboard that allowed individuals to simply text in a code to the Honda billboard nearest them and start the Honda car pictured in the ad. At the moment of message receipt, the car would rev to life, its lights flashing and exhaust pumping.
rainvertising
Rainvertising uses water stencil advertising. You may have seen sidewalk chalk marketing but the weather’s unpredictability makes this tactic risky. Schirm & Co., an umbrella company in Hamburg, Germany, used the frequent rainy weather to its advantage with clever rainvertising. Schirm employed this technique by spraying glass with stenciled designs of a waterproof adhesive. The result: an ad that appeared only when it rained to let drenched commuters know about the umbrella shop around the corner.
ambient advertising
Ambient advertising is found in our general surroundings or out-of-home environment. It makes an impact whether it stands alone or is combined with more traditional forms of marketing. Here, Terminix tells Dallasites about the different health and sanitation problems brought on by an in-home cockroach infestation. Terminex drives their point home with an outdoor ad that uses the disgusting insects – live – effectively, making their case for pest infestation prevention and treatment.
what’s next?
With so many methods available to point, click and share unconventional ad antics, companies will continue to profit from well-executed guerilla marketing. Top of the mind brand awareness is a top priority for businesses in today’s highly competitive market. When a customer searches online for a service or product, marketers prefer that they Google “McDonald’s” instead of “nearby, inexpensive restaurant.” You can expect to see many more guerilla marketing tactics around you as companies continue to attempt going viral and achieving that all important top of the mind awareness. These ads will likely use QR codes and other emerging technologies to make the most of their splashy marketing and drive actual end result purchases.